Tata Punch EV Empowered LR

For your daily running and usage, an EV makes absolute sense, especially since you have access to home charging. The new Tata Punch EV is ideal if you are driving yourself and don’t need a lot of space.

It offers a real world range of over 300 km, so your daily 120 km commute can be comfortably completed on a single charge without any range anxiety. Also, when charged at home, the running cost of an EV is roughly 20 per cent of a diesel car, which translates into substantial monthly savings.

While the Tata Punch EV is a good all-rounder, it is perhaps a size too small for a family of 5 or to be chauffeur driven in. The Mahindra XUV 3XO EV and Windsor have far more spacious cabins, but then the Mahindra is low on boot space when it comes to your 180-200km round trip. However, this would still be our pick as it has a spacious cabin for 5, tough chassis and comfortable ride quality. 

The Windsor may be more spacious on the whole, but its suspension and ride are quite stiff, and its large touchscreen, which controls the entire car, is full of bugs and glitches. Moreover, in standard guise, it has a very low range, and you would have to move up to the Pro version, which will increase your budget. Also consider the Tata Nexon EV, which, though expensive, feels like a more complete car than any of these.

The recently facelifted Renault Triber and upcoming Nissan Gravite are both good options for your usage. Essentially the same car under the skin, they are surprisingly spacious given their sub-4m length and overall size. 

The advantage of getting a 7-seater in this case is that, for your occasional 6-seat use, you will be able to manage with this car, and for the rest of the time, your 4-5 passengers will be more comfortable, and you can carry some luggage too. 

As a commuter, its compact dimensions make it easy to manage around town. Renault and Nissan's quality and reliability have come a long way since the early days. Though not quite up to the gold standard of certain other brands, are not a serious issue in the slightest. 

The Punch EV is a good choice, too. But for the reasons mentioned above, as well as your 1,500km monthly usage, we'd recommend sticking to a 7-seater and an ICE vehicle.